Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Mali instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
be 15.1% less likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Mali, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 12.6 years less
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Mali, that number is 61 years (59 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024.
see 84.6% less spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Mali spends $104 as of 2023.
have 66.0% fewer doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Mali has 1.9 as of 2023.
have 31.7% less access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Mali scores 41 as of 2021.
Economy
be 12.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Mali, that number is 2.8% as of 2025.
be 3.7 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Mali, however, that number is 45.5% as of 2021.
make 73.4% less money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Mali, the GDP per capita is $1,193 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.2 times more children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mali, there are 39.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 7.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Bhutan, approximately 47.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Mali, 367.0 women do as of 2023.
be 45.1% less likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Mali, it is 35.6% as of 2024.
be 3.5 times more likely to die during infancy
In Bhutan, approximately 13.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Mali, on the other hand, 47.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 45.5% less likely to have access to electricity
In Bhutan, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Mali, that number is 54% of people on average (92% in urban areas, and 23% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 59.7% less likely to have internet access
In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Mali, about 36.8% do as of 2024.
be 13.2% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Bhutan, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Mali, that number is 86% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 80% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 28.5% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Mali spends 4.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 13.8% less on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Mali, that number is 3.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 65.6% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Mali, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 73.6% less home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Mali has 0.8 as of 2022.
live with 5.7 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Mali withdraws 8% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 85.1% less CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Mali emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 14.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Mali, it causes 65.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Mali
Mali: At a glance
How big is Mali compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.